Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted the BJP’s Maharashtra election campaign Friday in Dhule in the northwestern part of the state – which is dominated by tribal communities – with an attack on the Congress for hatching a “conspiracy” against marginalised groups.
The Prime Minister claimed the Congress is bent on pitting one caste against the other, and so undermining each community’s chances to develop and progress. He urged voters to re-elect the Mahayuti alliance, stating, “Ek hain to safe hain (if you are united, then you are safe).”
“A dangerous game of pitting one caste against another is being played by the Congress… and this game is being played because the Congress never wants to see Dalits or Backward Classes or tribal community members progress in life. This is the history of the Congress,” he declared.
Mr Modi also declared that only the Mahayuti – which consists of the BJP and the Shiv Sena and NCP factions led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar – could guarantee development in the state, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi would scrap existing welfare measures and schemes.
“I appeal to you… vote for the Mahayuti so it will take Maharashtra to new heights in the next five years. Only a Mahayuti government can provide the good governance Maharashtra needs.”
“The Maha Vikas Aghadi vehicle has neither wheels nor brakes… and there is even a fight for the driver’s seat,” the Prime Minister said, jabbing at his rivals over protracted seat-share talks.
The MVA – which consists of the Congress and the Sena and NCP groups led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar – had struggled to reach an amicable deal for Maharashtra’s 288 Assembly seats. Last week, as the clock ticked past the deadline for nominations, it emerged the bloc had not formally named candidates for 11 seats; the Mahayuti had four on its plate.
However, days later Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala rubbished any talk of discord and said a full seat-share deal had been reached and nominations for all seats completed.
He acknowledged “misunderstanding” between the MVA members but insisted there were no rifts between the allies as a result of that uncertainty.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi hit back for his party and the MVA hours later in Jharkhand, which is also voting this month, warning voters the BJP is trying to snatch their “jal, jungle, jameen (water, forest, land)” from tribal community members in both states.
“PM Modi calls you ‘vanvasi’ (forest dwellers) as the BJP believes land, forest, and water belong to it… the RSS (the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological mentor), and capitalists. The BJP believes in grabbing tribal land on the pretext of ‘development’… it wants to snatch ‘jal, jungle, jameen’ from you,” Mr Gandhi declared in Jharkhand’s Simdega.
The backward classes, he said, were being “held back” by the ruling party, which had also stonewalled demands for a caste census. The Congress and the INDIA bloc have repeatedly called for an enumeration of caste populations in the country to help design effective policies.
Mr Gandhi has repeatedly said “90 per cent of the people are sitting outside the system and have no stake in governance”, and that a caste census, and a socio-economic survey, are needed to ensure the development of marginalised communities and women.
“We want the data. How many Dalits, OBCs, tribals, women, minorities… are there. We are trying to protect the Constitution through this demand for a caste census,” he said.
Jharkhand votes in two phases – on November 13 and November 20 – and Maharashtra in one phase on November 20. Results for both states will be out on November 23.
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